Tensile and Flexural Properties of Arenga Pinnata Filament (Ijuk Filament) Reinforced Epoxy Composites

• Main Author: Siregar, Januar Parlaungan
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/527/1/549630_FK_2005_34.pdf; http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/527/
• Institution: Universiti Putra Malaysia

Natural fibers are low-priced and sustainable resources. With the increasing environmental protection consciousness, the natural fibers as a new group of environmental friendly materials are in considerable demand in recent years, in those unifying technological, economical and ecological aspects. The aim of this study is to determine the tensile and flexural properties of Arenga pinnata filament as a natural filament and epoxy hardener as a matrix. This idea materialised to explore the new natural resources, considering on the abundance of available material resources in the local nature. The Arenga pinnata filament were mixed with epoxy and hardener also at the various filament weight percentages of 10%, 15% and 20% Arenga pinnata filament and with different filament arrangement such as long random, chopped random and woven roving. Hand lay up (HLU) process in this experiments were to produce specimen test with the curing time for the composite plates at room temperature (25-30C). The dimension of the specimen test for the tensile and flexural tests was adapted from the ASTM D638-99 and ASTM D790-99 respectively. Results from the tensile and flexural tests of Arenga pinnata filament reinforced epoxy composite, show the addition of 10%, 15% and 20% of filament volume fraction every filament arrangement in epoxy has decrease the tensile and flexural strength values compare to pure epoxy resin (0% filament). On the other hand, the increase of filament volume fraction in epoxy has increase the tensile modulus and flexural modulus. Comparison of filament arrangement shows that the Arenga filament woven roving has the maximum of tensile and flexural strength, which are the value of tensile and flexural strength are 51 MPa and 100 MPa respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) test were carried out after tensile test to observe the interface of fiber and matrix adhesion.